Independents seem to have the edge over party nominees in neglected Bassi Pathana

Though the Bassi Pathana municipal council is witnessing a multi-corner contest this time, the Independent candidates seem to have been able to garner support in their favour promising development in the city that is long crying for attention.

Though the Bassi Pathana municipal council is witnessing a multi-corner contest this time, the Independent candidates seem to have been able to garner support in their favour promising development in the city that is long crying for attention.

As many as 50 candidates are trying their luck in the 15-member municipal council of Bassi Pathana that is going to polls on February 25. The historical city of Fatehgarh Sahib district seemed to have been unlucky as far as grants of funds are concerned. It has a bus stand and a hospital for animals, but there is no other public infrastructure in the city. Bassi Pathana has over 200 old buildings and most of them are abandoned.

While the Independent candidates are counting on their development promise, candidates from other parties are going all out to allure voters. The SAD-BJP combine is confident of retaining the council, but the residents seemed to be inclined more towards Independents.

Nirmal Singh, a resident of ward number 4, said: “We are fed up with the party politics. This time we will vote for independent candidates because we think an individual can do much better than any party. People are accusing the local MLA of hindering the development works.”

In some wards, SAD workers are contesting elections as Independents because the wards they desire went to the BJP.

TRAFFIC CHAOS

The city has got a new bus stand, but it has doubled the traffic issues as there is no traffic inspector to man the place. Also, there is no traffic light in the plaza of city.

The streets of the main city are narrow, making the movement of vehicles difficult. To add to woes, there’s no end to traffic jams and accidents in the city.

LACKS CLEAN DRINKING WATER

Most parts of the city are deprived of clean drinking water, absence of which has spread many diseases in the area. Residents said they have approached the higher authorities, but in vain. Pritam Kumar, a resident, says: “In some areas, even purifier cannot filter the water. There is only one water tank in the town, which is yet to be functional since its construction in 1994.”

OLD SEWERAGE SYSTEM

The administration is not alarmed to change the pipelines for the town’s sewage that were laid in 1970’s. Moreover, like drinking water problem, half of the city has no access to sewerage, forcing people to dig canals outside their houses to release the waste.

POOR CLEANLINESS

Most of the city’s drainages are open, inviting fatal incidents to happen. The municipal workers clean them and put the heaps of waste on the roads. The waste drains as broad as 1 to 2 ft are not covered. Most streets remain chocked most of the time.

STRAY ANIMALS

Stray animals, particularly monkeys, are a menace in the city. Municipal workers catch them and release them in forests, but the animals come in a few days. Some monkeys have attacked children.